TARDIS Bookstore- Into Darkness
by StormWolf10
Summary: AU. Part of the TARDIS Bookstore series. In which the Doctor gets excited over a movie franchise and the Bookstore hosts an event night...


**A/N: Ok guys, this is just a one-shot. Sorry it took so long, other stuff got in the way… Also, I feel awful because I still haven't seen **_**Into Darkness**_**… *cries in corner* **

Rose recognised that look. The look on the Doctor's face, all excitement and obsession and my-dream's-just-come-true. He was grinning away, beaming at the computer screen, and Rose was beginning to wonder just how long it would be before he was leaping around the shop, cheering and screaming. Donna recognised the look too; it was evident by her slightly-panicked, wide-eyed expression.

"Oh, no," Donna murmured, beginning to shake her head vehemently.

"Oh, yes!" the Doctor crowed, still beaming and not looking around from the computer. "This is brilliant!"

"Doctor, it's just a film-" Rose began, but even as the words left her mouth she knew it was the wrong thing to say to her sci-fi loving boyfriend.

The Doctor turned to look at her, eyebrow arched and an incredulous expression on his face.

"_Just_ a _film_?" the Doctor echoed. "_Just a film_?! I'll have you know, Rose Tyler, that Star Trek is one of the biggest sci-fi franchises ever!"

"Yeah, but you've known the film was coming out for ages," Mickey chipped in from where he was leant against the shop counter. "You've been banging on about it ever since they released the 2009 Star Trek film!"

The Doctor didn't dignify that with a response.

"We should do something!" he announced happily.

"_Do something_?" Donna echoed, more than a little nervous.

"Yeah!" the Doctor grinned, whipping round to face Donna, Mickey and Rose. His hands were in his pockets and he was rocking happily on his heels. "Like, a party, or something!"

"You want to do a party for a film release?" Donna asked incredulously.

The Doctor's grin dropped.

"What's wrong with that?" he asked, sounding hurt.

"Nothing, exactly," Rose soothed, although she was still a little nervous. "It's just… The only places that host big party sort of things for films is Leicester Square."

The Doctor sniffed.

"Don't see why they get all the fun," he muttered bitterly, before raising his voice. "But it will be great! Might get more people in as well. We can do a Star Trek-themed event! You know, promote the action figures and graphic novels and books that we have on it! Have an open evening of sorts."

The group thought for a few moments.

"You know, Boss," Mickey piped up after a while, although he sounded a little reluctant, "that's not a bad idea."

The Doctor grinned.

**~StormWolf10~**

Further research by the Doctor showed that the film was going to premiere in Leicester Square Odeon on the 2nd of May. He was determined to see the film before they hosted the Star Trek night, but also wanted to do it close to the actual release of the film. And so, he pre-ordered tickets online, for him, Rose, Jack, Donna, Martha and Mickey to all go and see the film the first day it was actually in cinemas. Donna had rolled her eyes at that, and had hoped that she'd get away with not seeing the film. However, as plans for the Star Trek night were explained, she realised that seeing the film was the easy part.

"You want to decorate the shop?" Donna asked, eyebrow arched.

"Yes," the Doctor nodded.

"You want to decorate the shop to look like the Enterprise?!"

"Yes!" the Doctor repeated, exasperated. "Donna, we've already been over this!"

"You want to decorate the shop to look like the inside of the Enterprise? And you want us to dress up as Starfleet officers?"

Rose and Martha were giggling in the background, along with Jack and Mickey who lounged against the counter, watching as both the Doctor and Donna grew more frustrated with each other.

"Well, I ain't wearing no skimpy sci-fi costume!"

"But Donna, Rose-"

"Nuh uh, bookworm!" Donna interrupted, arms folded across her chest. "Just because your girlfriend is happy to wear a bloody Starfleet costume doesn't mean I will!"

And with that, Donna strode off to sulk in the office, leaving the Doctor spluttering "_bookworm_?!" in disbelief behind her. After a few moments, the Doctor finally rounded on Rose.

"The costumes aren't skimpy, are they?"

Rose blinked, and Martha fought hard not to burst into laughter again.

"Well, they are a _bit_," Rose admitted after a few moments.

"Oh," the Doctor blinked.

"Oh come on, Doc!" Jack chuckled from his position leaning against the counter. "You can't tell me you didn't notice how short that outfit is on Rose!"

The Doctor flushed red at that, beginning to stutter, before excusing himself to the storage room. Jack shook his head as the man left the room.

**~StormWolf10~**

As the Star Trek night drew nearer, Rose, Martha, Mickey, Jack and Donna all found that the Doctor was getting a little… obsessive. They weren't that bothered about the fact the Doctor had reorganised the entire Star Trek graphic novel section of the store, to 'make it easier for people to find what they want'. They tried not to pay too much attention when the Doctor ordered cardboard cut-outs of the current Star Trek cast online. But it was when he started trying to measure the others for their costumes that they put their foot down. Well, Donna put her hand down. On the Doctor's face. The slap had echoed through the air, and Rose was just glad there weren't any customers in the store at the time. Then again, they'd have probably left almost immediately when they saw the Doctor trying to measure Donna's waistline.

"What. The hell. Are you doing?!" Donna growled out, glaring at the Doctor as he cradled his reddening cheek.

"Measuring you for your costume?" the Doctor managed to squeak out, making it sound more like a question.

Jack spluttered out a laugh at hearing that, and Mickey's eyes had gone wide as he muttered "good luck with that, Boss" under his breath.

"Well you coulda just asked!" Donna snapped.

"Asked?" the Doctor echoed.

"Yes! For my bloody measurements! I'd have written them down, Thomas! You don't need to bloody grope me with a measuring tape!"

Donna's voice had softened marginally, more annoyed at her socially inept friend. The Doctor just blinked in response, mouth agape.

"Donna," Rose broke in quickly, "why don't you write your measurements down and I'll get your costume sorted, yeah? Same with the rest of you guys."

Donna and Martha nodded eagerly, while Mickey looked relieved and Jack pouted.

"So I'm not gonna be able to get the Doctor to measure my inner thigh?" Jack asked with a pout and a twinkle in his blue eyes.

Donna groaned, Rose and Martha rolled their eyes, Mickey chuckled and the Doctor blushed.

"Err, no," the Doctor responded, shaking his head furiously.

Jack pouted some more, and the Doctor quickly turned to begin organising a shelf of books behind him.

**~StormWol10~**

"_This_," Donna growled under her breath, "is ridiculous!"

Rose looked over to see Donna glaring at her reflection in the mirror as she tugged at the hem of her dress. Somehow, through a lot of begging and wide eyes, the Doctor had managed to get Donna to agree to wear a Starfleet costume.

"It doesn't look that bad, Donna," Martha piped up gently from where she was slipping on her own costume.

It was the night of the Star Trek night, just a day after they'd seen the film, and the girls had commandeered the Doctor's flat to get ready. Somehow, without really understanding, each person had ended up in a colour that- as the Doctor had put it- suited their character; Jack had refused to take part unless he could be a Captain (much to the chagrin of the Doctor, who'd finally agreed just to shut him up), with Donna and Rose in the blue Science uniforms, the Doctor also in blue (he'd insisted on getting Spock's uniform, so he was command), Mickey in Lieutenant Commander Scotty's red uniform, and Martha also in red, with Uhura's uniform. The boys all seemed genuinely happy with their costumes, although Mickey had a few doubts about whether he looked- as he put it- 'stupid and geeky'. In fact, Martha was fine with her costume too, and Rose had had hers since Halloween. It was just Donna who didn't like it.

"I'm staying behind the counter," Donna told Rose, pointing an accusing finger at the younger woman. "I'm telling you, I'm not coming out from behind the counter in _this_ scrap of a dress!"

Rose just nodded.

"That's fine. I'll probably be behind the counter most of the time too," Rose replied calmly, offering Donna a reassuring smile.

Donna scowled back and slipped on a pair of Ugg boots that really didn't match her costume before storming out of the flat.

"That could have gone better," Martha sighed, watching Donna go.

Rose nodded in agreement.

"Maybe we should have tried to talk the Doctor out of it," Rose thought aloud. "Maybe the costumes are too much."

"Bit late now," Martha pointed out, grimacing. "The shop opens in forty minutes. That's if anyone's actually coming, of course."

The shop had been losing more and more customers in recent months as taxes and petrol and food prices went up. Somehow, through methods he refused to divulge, the Doctor was keeping the business afloat and paying wages, but no one was quite sure how… Rose bit her lip.

"Come on," she sighed after a few moments. "Everyone will be waiting for us."

**~StormWolf10~**

Ten minutes after the shop had opened, there were still no customers. They'd had a few customers during the day, of course, but it was almost quarter to eight in the evening, and the sky was dark with storm clouds. The boys seemed oblivious, laughing and joking and waving plastic guns at one another like a group of oversized schoolboys. The girls, however, were growing bored.

"Hey, what's wrong, Carol Marcus?" Jack asked with a grin.

Rose fought the urge to roll her eyes. Mickey and Jack had been calling her that ever since they'd seen the film the night before and a remark had been passed about how Rose sort of looked like the new Star Trek character.

"Nothing, _Captain_," Rose responded. "Just tired."

"Is there even any point being open?" Donna complained suddenly, causing the Doctor to turn and look at her.

"Of course!" the Doctor responded, offended. "People will be coming!"

Donna arched an eyebrow.

"Yeah? How many people? Just the two?" she asked sarcastically, before turning serious. "Look, Thomas, I don't know who you're trying to kid, but the shop isn't going to last much longer if we don't get the customers in! We're making no profit at all now, and I have no idea how you're paying the wages!"

The Doctor sniffed at that.

"I have my ways," he shrugged. "Your wages are guaranteed. That's all you need to know."

Jack looked like he was about to respond, but then the shop door opened and a group of regular customers spilled in. Donna muttered "oh god" under her breath as she saw that they were the comic book geeks that often came in, and that they'd dressed up. The Doctor was greeting them enthusiastically, as Mickey nodded a greeting to them.

"Well," Jack said to the girls quietly, clapping his hands together, "looks like that's our cue."

He then disappeared into the crowd of people who had just appeared. Donna, Martha and Rose watched open-mouthed as the group flocked all over the Star Trek display Mickey and Jack had painstakingly put together under the Doctor's watchful eye. More people spilled through the door even as they watched, and soon the shop was buzzing.

**~StormWolf10~**

"I think we need to restock," Mickey announced cheekily at the end of the night.

Virtually all of the Star Trek merchandise they'd put out had been sold, save for one or two graphic novels. They'd even managed to sell some other sci-fi stuff too, such as graphic novels, posters, and collectables. In all, they seemed to have done well, a fact the Doctor was clearly aware of as he leant against one wall, grinning cockily.

"Oh, you can wipe that smug grin off your face," Donna hollered over to the Doctor, although she too was smiling. "I don't remember Spock ever looking cocky."

"Nah, you're thinking of Jim Kirk," Martha chipped in, smirking as she glanced at Jack. "Total womanizer."

"Why thank you!" Jack bowed, and Mickey and the Doctor rolled their eyes as the girls giggled.

As the group continued laughing and joking, Rose made her way over to the Doctor, slipping comfortably into his arms. She settled her head on his chest, and yawned.

"You weren't kidding earlier about being tired," the Doctor murmured, resting his chin on Rose's head.

He felt her shake her head, and smiled softly.

"Well then, why don't we throw this rowdy lot out and head upstairs to the flat?" the Doctor suggested quietly, a small smile on his face. "I've got a few ways to thank you for helping out tonight."

"Yeah?" Rose asked, eyebrow arched and a smirk on her face as she pulled back to look him in the eyes.

"Well, I was thinking a massage, actually," the Doctor admitted a little awkwardly as he recognised the glint in Rose's eyes.

"We could do that after…" Rose responded, finger tracing lightly up and down his chest.

Less than ten seconds later, the Doctor was pushing Jack, Donna, Martha and Mickey out of the door.


End file.
